Hunger
by Fearless Pursuit
Summary: A strong desire or craving for. A Halloween inspired one shot.


_A/N This is my second attempt at a published fic. I'm sure my grammar is terrible, but I'm working to improve. I've read through this more times than I can count to try to catch as many mistakes as possible but I'm also human._

 _I marked this as M due to some slight gore towards the end. I'd rather rate it higher than it should be than surprise people._

 _I don't own Castle or the characters. I'm basically playing paper dolls with someone else's dolls, and sometimes their paper._

 **Anytime after season 4 AU**

She woke up sweaty and hungry. Pushing off her comforter she slowly stood from her bed and let herself acclimate to standing. Her head felt dizzy and the wound on her arm was throbbing. Holding on the edge of her bed she slowly made her way to the bathroom to look at the marks.

During an arrest, the previous day a suspect had somehow managed to bite her, hard. Carefully peels away the bandage she saw the wound looked infected despite having it treated by an EMT. It was oozing and raw and looked bigger than the day before.

She needed a shower and to clean the bite but she was so hungry. Deciding she could grab a quick snack then jump in a shower she went to the kitchen in search of food. Opening her fridge she found some questionable Chinese but her stomach didn't care. She needed to eat. 'The microwave should kill most things right?' She thought to herself. She popped it in and waited for the longest thirty seconds of her life. Four bites in, she dropped the container and threw up what she had eaten. Maybe she was wrong about the microwave.

Ignoring her protesting stomach she went to get in the shower. The water felt good on her heated skin and she gently cleaned her worsening bite mark. After getting out she applied the antibiotic cream they had given her and redressed the bite. Deeming it good enough she dressed and left for work. She could stop for food on the way to the precinct. Stopping by a small diner, she orders eggs, bacon, sausage and a large coffee to go. Maybe she just needed protein.

Arriving at the precinct she stopped by her desk to turn on her computer then headed straight for the breakroom so she could quickly eat. The good goes down much easier than the stuff from home but the coffee turns her stomach. She pours it out and grabs a bottle of water to take some ibuprofen with. Her head is killing her and her arm still throbs. An hour later Castle arrives and she is still staring at her monitor, unable to focus on the screen or the paperwork in front of her.

"Morning Beckett." He says setting down a to go coffee cup and risking a kiss to her cheek. "Beckett you're burning up. Are you ok? You need to go home. How is your arm?"

"I'm fine Castle, washed and bandaged it this morning and took some meds about an hour ago. The only thing I could use is something to eat. Breakfast isn't really holding me."

"I can run and grab you something. Whatever you like. Maybe a bagel or some toast?"

"Umm... how about that diner down the street. The one that serves steak and egg breakfasts. Oh yes please, a steak, rare and eggs sunny side up, and some sausage."

He gives her a strange look but nods and walks off to get her order. "Thank you" she shouts after him.

By the time he returns she looks worse. Her head feels hotter and her arm is getting red outside if the bandage.

"Kate, I think it's time I take you home."

"Castle?" She questions as if she doesn't realize it's him. "I'm just so hungry. Did you bring my food?"

"Yes I did as odd as your order is, and you can eat as soon as we get back to the loft. I'll take you home and you can eat and go to bed."

"No I want to eat it hot, let me eat in the break room and then I'll let Gates know I'm going home." She stands and carefully makes her way to the other room.

Opening the Styrofoam container she immediately gets angry. Dammit, she wanted it rare and this is definitely not rare. Close enough though, she will eat it. Finishing it faster than she has ever finished anything in her life. But she's still so hungry.

"Ok Rick, I'm ready to go, just let me talk to Gates and grab my bag."

As they walk out of the precinct her body starts to feel sluggish, all she can think about is the ache in her stomach and the throbbing of her arm. She reaches up to touch the bite wound expecting pain, but it doesn't come. It feels numb. That alone should send a warning signal to her brain but she just tries to push through. Get to the loft, get something to eat and go to sleep. She will be better in the morning.

Walking through the lobby on Broome street, she's no longer registering anything. Not the breeze, the crisp late October air, the throbbing in her arm, Ricks hand in her, nothing.

Castle lifts his hand to her forehead to feel if she's as warms as she was before. She feels hotter, she's also sweaty and her breathing has become labored. He shakes her hand and puts a hand on her shoulder calling her name. "Kate. Kate. Ok, it's time to get you to the hospital." He says turning her around to head back out into the street.

"I'm just so hungry, just get me some food. Umm.. a rare steak sounds so good." All Kate can think about is eating, especially something like a steak, rare. She feels him push her out into the street and that's when she loses it. She quickly turns to him and bites his hand resting on her arm. It's good. It's what she feels her body needs. The skin and muscle and raw meat. It's just so good. She can't stop, needs more, so much more. There's no control anymore. She just wants to eat. The ache in her stomach roars louder so she continues to eat, more flesh, more meat, more, more, more.

Someone stumbles close to her and as soon as she gets to them she continues her feast, she can't stop. As soon as she is done, she needs to move on. Her hair, blue sweater, and jeans are covered in blood but she doesn't even realize it. She just needs more. People are running from her so she follows. She can smell it now. That amazing smell of fresh food. It's all she knows, all she sees, all she feels.

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she sees movement. Her next meal is pointing something at her, it's mouth moving but she can't make out the words. She cocks her head to the side to try to hear better but nothing comes. She continues on her path following the call of her stomach. Suddenly her walking buffet fires something off. It hits her but doesn't stop her. She gives a bloody smirk and keeps going. Five more shocks hit her body but she just keeps going. Determined to calm the riot of hunger within her.

Suddenly she's falling. Her legs giving out for reasons she can't determine. She can't fall. She has to stay the course of the one thing she needs, the one thing she wants. Food.

Her hands go out to catch her, brace her fall so she can get up as quickly as possible to continue towards her goal.

Suddenly Kate wakes up. Gasping for breath. One hand twisted at an awkward angle feeling like pins and needles the other clenched in the sheets, legs tangled with Ricks. A dream, just a dream, it had all been a horrible dream. She frees her arm, shakes out the numbness and repositions herself then starts to drift. Just as she's falling asleep the silence is disrupted by her grumbling stomach.


End file.
